Five honoured for outstanding service

Investigative journalist Stacey Dooley was awarded an MBE by the Queen in the Birthday Honours List last week.

The journalist and presenter from Luton was awarded for her services to broadcasting.

Stacey has spent the last decade making investigative documentaries for BBC Three, including Stacey Dooley Investigates, My Hometown Fanatics, which explored extremism in Luton.

The 31-year-old first appeared on TV screens when she appeared on the documentary series Blood, Sweat and T-shirts in 2008. She has travelled the world and looked into a number of topics including sex trafficking and abortion.

Peter Cowan was awarded an MBE for services to the community in Luton. In 2015 he was awarded a shield for the work he has done for the community at the High Sheriff Citizenship Awards ceremony.

The training manager for WorldSkills UK, Paul Dodds, from Bedfordshire, was also honoured with an MBE for services to the WorldSkills Competition.

Mark Stirling, Senior Investigation Officer at the National Crime Agency was awarded an MBE for services to Law Enforcement and the Investigation of Serious and Organised Crime.

An MBE, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, is awarded by the Queen to an individual for outstanding service to the community.

Also honoured in the Birthday Honours List was the University of Bedfordshire’s former Vice-Chancellor.

Professor Les Ebdon, the former director of fair access to higher education, has been knighted for services to higher education and social mobility.

The University of Bedfordshire Press Office tweeted on June 11, @uobnews: “So proud of former @uniofbeds VC @LesEbdon on his knighthood for services to higher education and social mobility #WellDeserved #Congratulations.”